The present invention relates to a method and system for managing a construction machine, and a processing apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for managing a construction machine, and a processing apparatus, with which whether the model used by a customer is an optimum one can be evaluated for a construction machine, such as a hydraulic excavator, having a plurality of sections operated for different periods of time, e.g., a front operating device section, a swing section and a track or travel section.
When advising customers, who are going to purchase construction machines such as hydraulic excavators, about which type of model is optimum, machine makers generally offer an advice based on the specification data listed in catalogues, etc. after hearing the customer""s demands.
However, which type of model is optimum should be judged depending on how the customer employs a machine in practice; and it is difficult to make such a judgment based on only the customer""s demand and the specification data listed in catalogues.
In a hydraulic excavator, particularly, excavation frequency and travel frequency differ depending on in which state the machine is used by a customer. Correspondingly, the operating or working time also differs depending on sections of the machine. More specifically, a hydraulic excavator comprises various sections, i.e., an engine, a front operating device (hereinafter referred to simply as a xe2x80x9cfrontxe2x80x9d), a swing body, and a track or travel body. The engine is operated upon turning-on of a key switch, whereas the front, the swing body, and the track body are operated upon an operator""s manipulation made during the engine operation. Thus, the engine running time, the front operating time, the swing time, and the travel time take different values from one another.
Conventionally, since the operating time for each section cannot be confirmed and hence how a customer employs a hydraulic excavator in practice cannot be confirmed, it has been difficult to evaluate and select an optimum model.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for managing a construction machine, and a processing apparatus, which make it possible to confirm how a customer employs a machine in practice, and to evaluate whether the machine is an optimum model for the customer.
(1) To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for managing a construction machine, the method comprising a first step of measuring an operation or working status for each of sections of each of a plurality of construction machines working in fields and including various models, and transferring the measured operation status to a base station computer and then storing and accumulating it as operation data in a database; and a second step of, in the base station computer, statistically processing the operation data and producing and outputting evaluation data for determining whether a particular one of the plurality of construction machines is an optimum model.
With those features, how a customer employs a machine in practice can be confirmed, and whether the machine is an optimum model for the customer can be evaluated. It is therefore possible to give an advice to the customer about the optimum model depending on the state of use by using the evaluation result.
(2) In above (1), preferably, the second step includes a third step of calculating, as the evaluation data, a value of at least one index regarding the state of use of the particular one of the plurality of construction machines based on the operation data, and determines based on the calculated index value whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
By thus calculating a value of at least one index regarding the state of use of the particular construction machine, how a customer employs the machine in practice can be confirmed, and whether the machine is an optimum model for the customer can be evaluated.
(3) In above (2), preferably, the second step further includes a fourth step of calculating, as the evaluation data, a value of the index for each of construction machines of the same model as the particular construction machine based on the operation data, thereby obtaining first correlation between the index and the number of operated construction machines, and compares the index value of the particular construction machine with the first correlation to determine whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
By thus obtaining and comparing the index value and the first correlation, how a customer employs the particular construction machine in practice can be confirmed from comparison with other construction machines of the same model, and whether that machine is an optimum model for the customer can be evaluated more appropriately.
(4) In above (3), preferably, the second step further includes a fifth step of calculating, as the evaluation data, a value of the index for each of construction machines of at least one of the various models of the plurality of construction machines, which differs from the model of the particular construction machine, based on the operation data, thereby obtaining second correlation between the index and the number of operated construction machines, and compares the index value of the particular construction machine with the first and second correlations to determine whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
By thus obtaining and comparing the index value and the first and second correlations, how a customer employs a construction machine (particular construction machine) in practice can be confirmed from comparison with other construction machines of the same model and other construction machines of different model, and whether that machine is an optimum model for the customer can be evaluated more appropriately.
(5) In above (1), preferably, the first step measures a load for each of said sections in addition to the operation status for each section, and stores and accumulates the measured load in the database of the base station computer; and the second step further includes a sixth of modifying the measured operation status depending on an amount of the measured load, and produces the evaluation data by using, as the operation data, the load-dependent modified operation status.
In a construction machine, not only the operation status but also the load differ one section to another, and the state of use of the machine varies depending on the amount of load of each section as well. By modifying the measured operation status for each section depending on load and producing the evaluation data by using the load-dependent modified operation status as the operation data, it is possible to compensate for differences in the state of use caused by differences in load, and to evaluate more appropriately whether that machine is an optimum model.
(6) In above (1) to (5), preferably, the operation status is represented by at lease one of an operating time and the number of times of operations.
With that feature, whether the machine is an optimum model for the customer can be evaluated more appropriately by employing any of the operating time and the number of times of operations.
(7) In above (1) to (5), preferably, the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator, and the section is any of a front, a swing body, a track body and an engine of the hydraulic excavator.
With those features, the operation status for each section, i.e., each of the front, the swing body, the track body and the engine of the hydraulic excavator, can be measured, and whether that hydraulic excavator is an optimum model for the customer can be evaluated more appropriately.
(8) In above (1) to (5), preferably, the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator; the sections include a front, a swing body, a track body and an engine of the hydraulic excavator; the operation status is represented by an operating time for each of the front, the swing body, the track body and the engine; and the index includes at least one of a ratio of an engine running time to a travel time, a ratio of the engine running time to a time during which a pump pressure is not lower than a predetermined value, the product of a ratio of the engine running time to a swing time and a bucket capacity, and the product of a ratio of the engine running time to an excavation time and an excavator body weight.
With those features, it is possible to confirm the state of use of the hydraulic excavator regarding travel, pump load, work amount of the bucket and swing, and amount of work requiring excavation force.
(9) In above (1) to (5), preferably, the construction machine is a hydraulic excavator; the sections include a front, a swing body and a track body of the hydraulic excavator; the operation status is represented by the number of times of operations for each of the front, the swing body and the track body; and the index includes at least one of a ratio of the total number of times of operations to the number of times of track operations, a ratio of the total number of times of operations to the number of times of operations in which a pump pressure is not lower than a predetermined value, the product of a ratio of the total number of times of operations to the number of times of track operations and a bucket capacity, and the product of a ratio of the total number of times of operations to the number of times of front operations and an excavator body weight.
With those features, it is similarly possible to confirm the state of use of the hydraulic excavator regarding travel, pump load, work amount of the bucket and swing, and amount of work requiring excavation force.
(10) Also, to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a system for managing a construction machine, the system comprising data measuring and collecting means for measuring and collecting an operation status for each section of each of a plurality of construction machines working in fields and including various models; and a base station computer mounted in a base station and having a database in which the operation status measured and collected for each section is stored and accumulated as operation data, the base station computer including computing means for statistically processing the operation data to produce and output evaluation data for determining whether a particular one of the plurality of construction machines is an optimum model.
(11) In above (10), preferably, the computing means includes first means for calculating, as the evaluation data, a value of at least one index regarding the state of use of the particular one of the plurality of construction machines based on the operation data, and determines based on the calculated index value whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
(12) In above (11), preferably, the computing means further includes second means for calculating, as the evaluation data, a value of the index for each of construction machines of the same model as the particular construction machine based on the operation data, thereby obtaining first correlation between the index and the number of operated construction machines, and compares the index value of the particular construction machine with the first correlation to determine whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
(13) In above (12), preferably, the computing means further includes third means for comparing the index value of the particular construction machine with the first correlation to determine whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
(14) In above (12), preferably, the computing means further includes fourth means for calculating, as the evaluation data, a value of the index for each of construction machines of at least one of the various models of the plurality of construction machines, which differs from the model of the particular construction machine, based on the operation data, thereby obtaining second correlation between the index and the number of operated construction machines, and compares the index value of the particular construction machine with the first and second correlations to determine whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
(15) In above (14), preferably, the computing means further includes fifth means for comparing the index value of the particular construction machine with the first and second correlations to determine whether the particular construction machine is an optimum model.
(16) In above (10), preferably, the data measuring and collecting means measures and collects, in addition to the operation status for each section, a load for each section; the base station computer stores and accumulates the operation status and the load measured and collected for each section, as the operation data, in the database; and the computing means further includes sixth means for modifying the measured operation status depending on an amount of the measured load, and produces the evaluation data by using, as the operation data, the load-dependent modified operation status.
(17) Further, to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus wherein an operation status for each section of each of a plurality of construction machines working in fields and including various models is stored and accumulated as operation data, and the operation data is statistically processed to produce and output evaluation data for determining whether a particular one of the plurality of construction machines is an optimum model.